Double walled electric vehicle charging station enclosure

ABSTRACT

In various embodiments, a charging station enclosure is provided having a casing for enclosing circuitry therein, the casing comprising a side wall surrounding the circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the side wall comprises a double wall with a space therebetween.

CROSS REFERENCED RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of PCT m Application SerialNumber PCT/US2011/027622, by Bonwit et al., entitled DOUBLE WALLEDELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION ENCLOSURE, filed Mar. 8, 2011, hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

-   -   PCT/US2011/027622 claims priority of the following U.S.        Provisional patent applications all herein incorporated by        reference in their entireties:        -   Ser. No. 61/325,787, filed on Apr. 19, 2010, entitled An            ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION, by Bonwit et al.;        -   Ser. No. 61/350,466, filed on Jun. 1, 2010, entitled AN            ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION, by Bonwit et al.; and        -   Ser. No. 61/339,749, filed on Mar. 8, 2010, entitled            BREAK-AWAY CABLE CONNECTOR, by Petrie et al.    -   PCT/US2011/027622 is continuation-in-part of the following U.S.        Design patent applications, which are herein incorporated by        reference in their entireties:        -   Ser. No. 29/360,201, filed Apr. 21, 2010, entitled ELECTRIC            VEHICLE CHARGER, by Petrie et al.; and        -   Ser. No. 29/360,300, filed Apr. 22, 2010, entitled ELECTRIC            VEHICLE CHARGER, by Petrie et al.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of PCT/US2011/027620,filed on Mar. 8, 2011, entitled ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION WITHCABLE RETAINING ENCLOSURE, by Bonwit et al., and PCT/US2011/027621,filed on Mar. 8, 2011, entitled ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONENCLOSURE AND MOUNTING APPARATUS, by Bonwit et al., both hereinincorporated by reference in their entireties, which both claim priorityof the following U.S. Provisional patent applications:

-   -   Ser. No. 61/325,787, filed on Apr. 19, 2010, entitled AN        ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION, by Bonwit et al.;    -   Ser. No. 61/350,466, filed on Jun. 1, 2010, entitled AN ELECTRIC        VEHICLE CHARGING STATION, by Bonwit et al.; and    -   Ser. No. 61/339,749, filed on Mar. 8, 2010, entitled BREAK-AWAY        CABLE CONNECTOR, by Petrie, et al.

PCT/US2011/027620 and PCT/US2011/027621 are both continuation-in-partsof U.S. Design patent application Nos. 29/360,201 and 29/360,300.

The present application is a continuation-in-part PCT Application No.PCT/US2011/000433, filed Mar. 8, 2011, entitled BREAK-AWAY CABLECONNECTOR, by Petrie, et al, herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety, which claims the priority of the following U.S. Provisionalpatent applications:

-   -   Ser. No. 61/339,749, filed on Mar. 8, 2010, entitled BREAK-AWAY        CABLE CONNECTOR, by Petrie, et al.;    -   Ser. No. 61/397,984, filed on Jun. 18, 2010; and    -   Ser. No. 61/460,413, filed on Jun. 18, 2010.

BACKGROUND

In electric vehicle charging systems, a charging station enclosure has arequirement for supporting a charging station cable and protectinginternal electrical and electronic components of the electric vehiclecharging station.

As effective electric vehicle are becoming more feasible and moredesirable, there will be an increased interest in home-based andcommercial charging stations. To M minimize charging times, it isdesirable to use a high voltage (e.g., 240 volt) charging system. Whenusing such systems there are both safety considerations and safety lawsthat need to be addressed to minimize the risk to homeowners and theirproperty. Technologies addressing these considerations may also beuseful to improve vehicle charging stations in industrial and commercialsettings.

The charging station in a home, commercial, or industrial environmentwill be exposed to extreme environmental factors of temperature,moisture, and sun light. To protect the electrical and electroniccircuitry of the charging station must be able to withstand the extremeenvironmental factors.

Further, the charging station cable will be attached directly to thecharging station enclosure. The charging station cable may be yanked tocause extreme stress on the charging station enclosure if, for instance,the driver leaves the charging station cable attached and drives away.Such a scenario will cause excess torquing of the charging station atits connection points to a solid structure and potentially could causedamage to the charging station enclosure.

Additionally, the charging station cable requires a provision forstoring the charging station cable. When not in use the charging stationcable must be placed attached to or near the charging station enclosure.Such a storage facility must be convenient for the user to take from thestorage and to replace in its storage position.

Therefore what is needed is a charging station configured to cope withstructurally damaging forces and extreme environments, while minimizingthe likelihood of exposing live electrical parts to people or flammableproperty. Further, what is needed is a charging station with a provisionfor storage of a charging station cable.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a charging station enclosure is provided havinga casing for enclosing circuitry therein, the casing comprising a sidewall surrounding the circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the sidewall comprises a double wall with a space therebetween.

In some embodiments, the casing has wall supports in the space betweenthe double wall. The wall supports may have drainage features, forexample drainage openings, drainage ports, or the like. In oneembodiment, the drainage features may include a space between the wallsupports and the front plate which is fastened to the casing. The casingmay further include drainage openings, which in some embodiments may bein an outer wall of the double wall.

In various embodiments some of the wall supports have fastenerreceivers. In some embodiments, the wall supports with fastenerreceivers have the drainage ports.

In some embodiments, the enclosure comprises a front plate fastened tothe casing with a gasket creating a seal between the front plate and aninner wall of the double wall.

In some embodiments, thermal insulation in the space between the doublewalls.

In various embodiments, a charging station enclosure is provided havinga casing for enclosing circuitry therein. In this embodiment, the casingincludes a side wall surrounding the circuitry, with at least a portionof the side wall having an inner wall and an adjacent outer wall. Afront plate is fastened to the casing.

In some embodiments, a gasket creates a seal between the front plate andthe inner wall.

In some embodiments, the front plate may be fastened M to the casingwith a water tight seal between the front plate and the inner wall suchthat water penetrating past an interface between the outer wall and theface plate is directed away from passing beyond the inner wall. Someembodiments may have at least one drainage opening to allow accumulatedwater between the inner wall and the outer wall to drain therefrom.Further, the casing may have wall supports with drainage featureslocated in a space between the inner wall and the outer wall.

Fastener receivers may be located between the inner wall and the outerwall, and the front plate may be fastened to the casing via fasteners,such that the fasteners are received by the fasteners receivers.

In another embodiment, a charging station enclosure is provided having acasing having a side wall, a rear mounting surface, and a front facinguser interface panel having an angle with respect to the rear mountingsurface so as to facilitate viewing by a user when viewing from apositioned adjacent to and above the charging station enclosure. In somesuch embodiments, the front facing panel has an angle of approximatelyten degrees toward the rear mounting surface.

In some embodiments, the side wall may have a generally truncatedconical configuration.

Various embodiments may have a connector receptacle for receiving andretaining an energy transfer connector. In some embodiments, theconnector receptacle is recessed from the front facing user interfacepanel.

In yet another embodiment, a charging station enclosure is providedhaving a surrounding side wall, a front plate secured to the side wall,and a rear portion. The rear portion has an opening for receiving aelectric utility wiring; and a plurality of exclusion spacers positionedm adjacent to the opening.

In various further embodiments, the plurality of exclusion spacers mayextend from the rear portion into and interior of the enclosure. In someembodiments, a power transfer cable opening is located in a downwardfacing portion of the side wall. Some embodiments may further include aconnector receptacle recessed from the front plate for receiving andretaining an energy transfer connector of a power transfer cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective drawing of a possible embodiment of anelectric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 2 is rear perspective drawing of a possible embodiment of anelectric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 3A is a drawing of a side view of a possible embodiment of anelectric vehicle electric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged partial side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is an exploded rear perspective view of a possible embodiment ofan electric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 5A is a drawing showing a perspective exploded view of anembodiment of electric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 5B is a drawing showing a perspective view of the embodiment of theinterior of an electric vehicle charging station of FIG. 5A illustratingplacement of the wiring, electrical connectors, and electrical andelectronic circuitry.

FIG. 5C is a drawing showing a perspective view of the embodiment of theinterior of an electric vehicle charging station of FIG. 5B illustratingthe interior of the electric charging station enclosure.

FIG. 5D is a drawing showing a cross sectional view of an embodiment ofthe electric charging station enclosure of FIG. 5C.

FIG. 5E is a drawing showing a perspective view of the embodiment of theelectric charging station enclosure of FIG. 5C illustrating the doublewall structure of the charging station enclosure.

FIG. 5F is a drawing showing a bottom view of the embodiment of theelectric charging station enclosure of FIG. 5C.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a top view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are drawings of a bottom view of an embodiment of anelectric vehicle charging station.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a right side view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station.

FIG. 9 is a drawing of a left side view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station.

FIG. 10 is a drawing of a rear view of an embodiment M of an electricvehicle charging station.

FIGS. 11A-11D are drawings of a back wall mounting plate of anembodiment of an electric vehicle charging station.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a front perspective drawing of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The charging station enclosure 10 is generallya truncated conical section that contains the power distributioncircuitry for charging an electric vehicle. A front plate 15 is securedto an edge of a front opening of the peripheral casing 11 of thecharging station enclosure 10 where the inner surface of the front edgeof the peripheral casing 11 has a generally circular surface. The frontedge of the peripheral casing 11 has a number of holes to receivefasteners such as screws that secure the front plate 15 to the chargingstation enclosure 10. A pliable O-ring is situated between the frontplate 15 and the front edge of the peripheral casing 11 of the chargingstation enclosure 10 to seal the interior of the charging stationenclosure 10 from the exterior environment.

The front plate has openings through which controls such as a startswitch 35, stop switch 35 and condition indicators 37 are placed, thusproviding a user interface. A cable connector 30 is attached to thecharging station enclosure 10 to allow connection to energy distributioncircuitry 200 of FIG. 5 that is used for the transferring electricalenergy to the electric vehicle being charged. The cable connector 30 isconnected to an energy transfer conduit such as a flexible, elongatedpower cable 20 having a length sufficient for connecting to the electricvehicle. The diameter of the power cable 20 being dependent upon theamount of current carried by the power cable 20 and the environmentaland usage requirements for the distribution of electrical energy fromthe electric vehicle charging station. Secured to the distal end of thepower cable 20 is an electric vehicle charging interface connector 25that is attached to a charging port of the electric vehicle for thetransfer of the electrical energy to the electric vehicle for charging.

FIG. 2 is rear perspective drawing of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The truncated conical section of the chargingstation enclosure 10 is placed such that the larger diameter side is thefront opening of the peripheral casing 11 to which the front plate 15 isattached. The smaller diameter is placed at the rear surface 40 of thecharging station enclosure 10. The rear of the charging stationenclosure 10 is attached to a vertical mounting surface such as a wallor pole. The charging station enclosure 10 is attached to the verticalmounting surface through a back plate 100. The back plate 100 isconnected to the vertical mounting surface and the charging stationenclosure 10 is mounted to the back plate 100.

FIG. 3A is a drawing of a side view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. FIG. 3B is an enlarged partial side view ofthe embodiment of FIG. 3A. The truncated conical section of the chargingstation enclosure 10 is formed such that the top edge 12 of theperipheral casing 11 has an angle of approximately 25° (with a range offrom 10° to 45° from a horizontal plane) or 65° from a vertical plane.This angle permits the power cable 20 of FIG. 1 to be draped over thetop edge 12 of the peripheral casing 11 of the charging stationenclosure 10 to allow ease of removal of the power cable 20 forconnection to the electric vehicle. An advantage of providing a meansfor supporting cable 20 by using the charging station enclosure 10 isthat it eliminates the need for a separate cable hanger, and thusreduces space and lowers the overall system cost. The peripheral casing11 has steps 14 of ridges and grooves formed in the surface of theperipheral casing 11 to facilitate retention and release of the powercable 20 of FIG. 1 when it is stored on the top edge 12 of theperipheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10. The frontplate 15 is placed at an angle of approximately 80° to a horizontal axisor equivalently 10° to a vertical axis. These angles may vary or beadjusted in other embodiments. The angled front plate 15 facilitiesviewing of the charging station front plate from slightly above thefront plate 15, to allow the charging station enclosure 10 to beconveniently mounted at a lower level than a user's head while stillhaving the front plate 15 generally facing the user's m head. Further,it allows the electric vehicle charging station to comply with federalor local laws requiring a maximum height, i.e. 48 inches, to facilitateaccess by disabled users, while still being very usable by standingusers.

FIG. 4 is an exploded rear perspective drawing of an embodiment of anelectric vehicle charging station. The charging station enclosure 10 hasa rear surface or wall 40 that is recessed into the peripheral casing 11of the charging station enclosure 10. The rear surface 40 has stiffeningplates 45 formed in the rear surface 40 and the bottom surface of thecharging station enclosure 10 to provide necessary stiffening of thecharging station enclosure 10 to inhibit damage from the insertion ofthe electric vehicle charging interface connector 25 and from the weightof the power cable 20 when it is placed at the top edge 12 of thecharging station enclosure 10.

The rear surface 40 has standoffs 50 a and 50 b that inhibit the backplate 100 from being improperly placed when the electric vehiclecharging station is mounted to the back plate 100. The rear surface 40further has fastener openings 55 a and 55 b for securing fasteners tojoin the back plate 100 to the rear surface 40 of the charging stationenclosure 10. The embodiment as shown has two fastener openings 55 a and55 b. In other embodiments, there may be any number of openings forsecuring the back plate 100 to the rear surface 40.

The rear surface 40 has an opening 365 that is aligned with the opening120 of the back plate 100. The cable openings 365 and 120 are aligned toallow an energy delivery cable (not shown) into the charging stationenclosure 10 from wall directly behind the charging station enclosure 10to connect to the energy distribution circuitry 200 of FIG. 5 within thecharging station enclosure 10. Optionally, the energy delivery cable(not shown) may be routed via an electrical conduit (not shown) externalto the wall (not shown) and enter the enclosure 10 through an alternatecable opening 330 (FIGS. 7A and 7B) in the bottom of the chargingstation enclosure 10. In such a case, an optional tab 335 may cover thecable opening 365. Or if the energy delivery cable enters through theback cable opening 365, an optional tab (not shown) may cover thealternate cable opening 330. Or, one or both of the cable openings 365and/or 330 may be solid initially and thereafter drilled to make therequired cable opening 365 or 330. The back plate 100 has fasteners 105a and 105 b that receive the mating fasteners that are attached to theopenings 55 a and 55 b. The back plate 100 has openings 115 a and 115 bthat receive the fasteners 110 a and 110 b that are to attach the backplate 100 to the vertical surface (wall or pole). The back plate 100having a separate connection to the vertical surface from the chargingstation enclosure 10 permits a variety of connections between thecharging station enclosure 10 and the vertical surface and meetsnecessary regulatory requirements that the energy distribution circuitry200 of FIG. 5A not have a direct connection to the vertical surface towhich it is mounted.

In various embodiments, the charging station cable 20 has a cableconnector 30 that is structured to breakaway from the charging stationenclosure 10 whenever the charging station cable 20 is placed underextreme tension. As noted in Petrie et al., it is anticipated that theelectrical vehicle charging station may be used in residential garagesto charge personal vehicles. A 240 volt residential power system couldprovide for overnight vehicle charging. In such a setting, it isanticipated that less-than ideal conditions might exist. For example, agarage can be expected to be filled with objects that could interferewith easy access to the charging station. Moreover, the vehicle may endup parked in a position that places its charging port far from thecharging station console. Additionally, while charging is taking place,pets, children and adults may want to pass between the charging stationconsole and the charging port.

As was previously noted, in such a setting there are many possiblesituations in which a charging station cable 20 may be physicallyabused. For example, while extending the cable to the vehicle, a usermay yank or whip the cable to get it passed an obstacle. Also, while thecable is attached to a vehicle, a person or object could inadvertentlystrike the cable, placing it in high tension. It is also possible that avehicle could be driven away while the vehicle connector is stillattached to the vehicle.

Petrie et al. provides a mechanical weak link in the cable. The weaklink is configured to fail in a way that limits risks to a user. Moreparticularly, this weak link limits the risk that such events causedamage to the charging station enclosure 10 and potentially expose usersor flammable materials to a high-power power source.

Prior to the breaking away of the charging station cable 20, thecharging station enclosure 10 is under increased torquing moments at thecable receiving connector opening 340 of FIGS. 5F and 7. This torque istransferred to the openings 55 a and 55 b for securing fasteners to jointhe back plate 100 through the fasteners 105 a and 105 b to the rearsurface 40 of the charging station enclosure 10. The locations of theopenings 55 a and 55 b for securing fasteners to join the back plate 100are located to minimize the effects of this torque to inhibit damage tothe charging station enclosure 10. Similarly, the locations of thefasteners 105 a and 105 b on the back plate are located such that theeffects of the torque inhibit any damage to the structure to which theelectric m vehicle charging station is mounted.

The openings 55 a and 55 b, as located on the rear surface 40 of thecharging station enclosure 10, are approximately aligned vertically withthe axis of the cable connector 30. The alignment of the openings 55 aand 55 b with the cable connector 30 minimizes the effects of thetorquing due to the charging station cable 20 being under tension in abreakaway situation. The fasteners 105 a and 105 b on the back plate 100are aligned with the openings 55 a and 55 b to receive the fastenersthat attach the charging station enclosure 10 to the back plate 100 atthe fasteners 105 a and 105 b. The openings 115 a and 115 b that receivethe fasteners 110 a and 110 b to attach the back plate 100 to thevertical surface (wall or pole) are also essentially aligned with theaxis of the cable connector 30 to inhibit the effects of the torquingwhen the charging station cable 20 is under tension in a breakawaysituation.

FIG. 5A is a drawing showing a perspective exploded view of anembodiment of an electric vehicle charging station. FIG. 5B is a drawingshowing a perspective view of the embodiment of the interior of anelectric vehicle charging station of FIG. 5A illustrating placement ofthe wiring, electrical connectors, and electrical and electroniccircuitry. FIG. 5C is a drawing showing a perspective view of theembodiment of the interior of an electric vehicle charging station ofFIG. 5B illustrating the interior of the electric charging stationenclosure. FIG. 5D is a drawing showing a cross sectional view of anembodiment of the electric charging station enclosure of FIG. 5C. FIG.5E is a drawing showing a perspective view of the embodiment of theelectric charging station enclosure of FIG. 5C illustrating the doublewall structure of the charging station enclosure. FIG. 5F is a drawingshowing a bottom view of the embodiment of the m electric chargingstation enclosure of FIG. 5C. The peripheral casing 11 of the chargingstation enclosure 10 includes an inner wall 60 and an outer wall 90. Theinner wall 60 provides an extra level of isolation and protection forthe energy distribution circuitry 200 from the external environment.Between the inner wall 60 and the outer wall 90 are wall supportfeatures 65 and 205 to provide support to strengthen the chargingstation enclosure 10.

The wall support features 65 include fastener receiving locations 65(screw holes as shown) to receive the fasteners 75 (screws) that securethe front plate 15 to the charging station enclosure 10. The front plate15 further has holes 80 through which the fasteners 75 pass to beattached to the front edge of the opening in the peripheral casing 11 ofthe charging station enclosure 10 at the fastener receivers 65. AnO-ring 70 that conforms to the shape of the front edge of the peripheralcasing 11 is placed on the inner wall 60 and is compressed to provide anenvironmental seal between the energy distribution circuitry 200 and theexternal environment. Generally the environmental seal is a waterproofseal, but may include other types of sealing material for isolating theenergy distribution circuitry 200 from other environmental contaminants.

The space between the inner and outer walls provide an air gap thatprovides, or may contain, thermal insulation between the inner and outerwalls. This inhibits the outer wall from being heated by the electronicswithin the housing and inhibits heat flow from outside the housing tothe electronics within the housing.

The space between the inner and outer walls provides a chamber orchannel that traps any water that intrudes past the edge of the frontcover. Also, the inner wall may still m provide an environmental sealeven if the outer wall is struck, punctured, or scraped so that itbecomes inadvertently cracked or otherwise damaged.

Refer now to FIG. 5E. Should moisture be able to enter into the spacebetween the inner wall 60 and the outer wall 90, such as by the outerwall 90 of the charging station enclosure 10 becoming damaged or by anygap or opening between the front plate 15 and the outer wall 90, thewall support features 65 have drainage ports 215 formed in them to allowwater to flow past them. The wall support features 205 charging stationenclosure 10 are placed such they are recessed to allow a space betweenthe wall support features and the front plate 15 to further permit thepassage of water that may enter the space between the inner wall 60 andthe outer wall 90. The water is able to flow to the bottom of thecharging station enclosure 10 and exits through the drainage openings220 as shown in FIG. 5F.

A cover plate 85 is provided to be placed over the fasteners 75 in agroove 95 of the front plate 15 to provide a decorative appearance forthe front plate 15 and to protect the screws from direct contact withthe elements.

The peripheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10 and thefront plate 15 have openings 300 and 305 that receive an interfaceconnector receptacle 315 of FIG. 1. The interface connector receptacle315 provides a latching arrangement to hold the electric vehiclecharging interface connector 25 when not in use.

In various embodiments, the interface connector receptacle 315 isconstructed as a feature of the charging station enclosure 10 ratherthan being separately installed in the openings 300. In variousembodiments, the charging station enclosure 10 is molded of an organicplastic compound with the interface connector receptacle 315 beingformed during the molding process.

The interior view of the rear surface 40, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and5C, have the mounting positions 255 for the energy distributioncircuitry 200. As shown in FIG. 5C the cable opening 365 with itsinstalled tab 335 is positioned centrally between wiring exclusionspacers 250. The wiring exclusion spacers 250 are features positioned onthe rear surface 40 to indicate that the wiring or components of theenergy distribution circuitry 200 should not be placed in the areadefined by the wiring exclusion spacers 250. The wiring exclusionspacers 250 are to inhibit placement of obstacles in the region of thecable opening 365. During installation of the energy delivery conduit(not shown) through the rear surface 40, the optional tab 335 must beremoved. In some embodiments the installation has the cable opening 365being drilled out of the rear surface 40. The wiring exclusion spacers250 help insure that there are no obstacles to the drilling of the cableopening 365. In addition, by the wiring exclusion spacers 250 acting toinhibit the movement or relocation of wires or other components into thearea defined by the wiring exclusion spacers 250, such wires or othercomponents will not be damaged by drilling into this area.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a top view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The grooves 14 are illustrated as retainingthe power cable 20 as it is draped over the top edge 12 and rests on theouter wall 90 of FIGS. 5A-5F of the peripheral casing 11 of the chargingstation enclosure 10. The electric vehicle charging interface connector25 that is connected to the power cable 20 is inserted to the interfaceconnector receptacle 315 that is recessed into the front plate 15 of thecharging station enclosure 10.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are drawings of a bottom view of an m embodiment of anelectric vehicle charging station. A second opening 330 in theperipheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10 has anelectrical conduit connector 320 that provides an alternative connectionpoint for the energy delivery conduit (not shown). The cable connector30 is connected to the cable receiving connector 325 that is attached tothe peripheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10. The cableconnector 30 is connected to the cable receiving connector 325 to allowconnection of the energy distribution circuitry 200 of FIGS. 5A and 5Bto the power cable 20. The electric vehicle charging interface connector25 is placed in the interface connector receptacle 315 that isconstructed to receive and retain the electric vehicle charginginterface connector 25. The interface connector receptacle 315 isconstructed to provide isolation from the external environment andprotection of the electrical contacts of the electric vehicle charginginterface connector 25 when an electric vehicle is not being charged.

The electric vehicle charging interface connector 25 has a plastic ringaround the outside that locates it within the interface connectorreceptacle 315. Inside this ring are metal pins. On the interfaceconnector 25, there is a circular channel that the plastic ring locatesin the interface connector receptacle 315. In the interface connectorreceptacle 315 are plastic locating features for the pins to locate onfor storing the connector until the next usage. When the interfaceconnector 25 is seated in any receptacle, a rubber seal on the inside ofthe plastic ring makes contact with the exterior wall of the innercircular channel of the interface connector receptacle 315 to seal theinterface connector 25 from exposure to the external environment.

The stiffening plates 45 formed in the rear surface m and the bottomsurface of the peripheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10provide necessary reinforcement of the charging station enclosure 10 toinhibit damage from the insertion of the electric vehicle charginginterface connector 25 and from the weight of the power cable 20 when itis placed at the top edge 12 of the charging station enclosure 10.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a right side view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The power cable 20 is draped over the top edge12 of the peripheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10 andfrictionally retained by the steps 14 to inhibit the cable from slidingto the vertical surface 400 of FIG. 9 and potentially causing crimpingof the power cable 20. The cable connector 30 is connected to the cablereceiving connector 325 that is attached to the peripheral casing 11 ofthe charging station enclosure 10. The cable connector 30 is connectedto the cable receiving connector 325 to allow connection of the energydistribution circuitry 200 of FIG. 5 to the power cable 20. The electricvehicle charging interface connector 25 is placed in the interfaceconnector receptacle 315 that is recessed in the front plate 15.

FIG. 9 is a drawing of a left side view of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The electric vehicle charging station 5 issecured to the vertical surface 400 with the fasteners 110 a and 110 b.The interface connector receptacle 315 is connected to or integratedwith the bottom of the peripheral casing 11 of the charging stationenclosure 10. The power cable 20 is draped over the top edge 12 andfrictionally retained by the steps 14. The electric vehicle charginginterface connector 25 is placed and secured in the interface connectorreceptacle 315 recessed within the front plate 15. The electricalconduit connector 320 is placed at the bottom of the peripheral casing11 of the charging station enclosure 10 to allow the energy deliveryconduit (electrical cable) to pass through the charging stationenclosure 10 to the energy distribution circuitry 200 of FIGS. 5A and5B. In this embodiment, with the energy delivery conduit (electricalconduit) being placed at the bottom surface of the charging stationenclosure 10, the opening 365 in the rear surface 40 of FIG. 4 has theoptional tab 335 in place to seal the rear surface from the externalenvironment. Or, in this and other embodiments, the opening 365 may bedrilled from a solid portion of the rear surface 40.

FIG. 10 is a drawing of rear panel of an embodiment of an electricvehicle charging station. The rear surface 40 is recessed into theperipheral casing 11 of the charging station enclosure 10. The rearsurface 40 has stiffening plates 45 formed in the rear surface 40 andinto the bottom of the peripheral casing 11 of the charging stationenclosure 10 to provide necessary reinforcing of the charging stationenclosure 10 to inhibit damage from the insertion of the electricvehicle charging interface connector 25 of FIG. 1 and from the weight ofthe power cable 20 when it is placed at the top edge 12 of the chargingstation enclosure 10 of FIG. 3.

The rear surface 40 has standoffs 50 a and 50 b that inhibit the backplate 100 from being improperly placed when the electric vehiclecharging station is mounted to the back plate 100. The rear surface 40further has openings 55 a and 55 b (FIG. 4) for securing fasteners tojoin the back plate 100 to the rear surface 40 of the charging stationenclosure 10.

The rear surface 40 has an opening 365 that is aligned with the opening120 of the back plate 100. The cable openings 365 and 120 allow anenergy delivery conduit (not shown) into the charging station enclosure10 from a vertical surface (wall) directly behind the charging stationenclosure 10 to connect to the energy distribution circuitry 200 ofFIGS. 5A and 5B within the charging station enclosure 10. Optionally,the energy delivery conduit (not shown) may enter via an electricalconduit connector 320 external to the wall (not shown) and through analternate cable opening 330 in the bottom of the peripheral casing 11 ofthe charging station enclosure 10. In such a case, an optional tab 335may cover the cable opening 365. Or, in this and other embodiments, theopening 330 may be drilled from a solid portion bottom surface of theenclosure 10. Conversely an optional tab (not shown) may cover thealternate cable opening 330. The back plate 100 has fasteners 105 a and105 b that receive the mating fasteners that are attached to theopenings 55 a and 55 b. The back plate 100 has openings 115 a and 115 bthat receive the fasteners 110 a and 110 b that are to attach the backplate 100 to the vertical surface (wall or pole). The back plate havinga separate connection to the vertical surface from the charging stationenclosure 10 permits a variety of connections between the chargingstation enclosure 10 and the vertical surface and meets necessaryregulatory requirements that the energy distribution circuitry 200 ofFIGS. 5A and 5B not have a direct connection to the vertical surface towhich it is mounted.

FIGS. 11A-11D are drawings of a back wall mounting plate of anembodiment of an electric vehicle charging station. The back plate 100has fasteners 105 a and 105 b that receive the mating fasteners that areattached to the openings 55 a and 55 b of the charging station enclosure10 of FIGS. 4 and 10. The back plate 100 has openings 115 a and 115 bthat receive the fasteners 110 a and 110 b that are to attach the backplate 100 to the vertical surface (wall or pole). The back plate 100having a separate connection to the vertical surface from the chargingstation enclosure 10 permits a variety of connections between thecharging station enclosure and the vertical surface and meets necessaryregulatory requirements that the energy distribution circuitry 200 ofFIGS. 5A and 5B not have a direct connection to the vertical surface towhich it is mounted.

The back plate 100 has an opening 120 that is aligned with the opening365 of FIGS. 4 and 10. The cable openings 365 and 120 allow an energydelivery conduit (not shown) into the charging station enclosure 10 froma wall directly behind the charging station enclosure 10 to connect tothe energy distribution circuitry 200 of FIGS. 5A and 5B within thecharging station enclosure 10.

The back plate 100 is constructed from a metal plate or sheet such as analuminum, steel, or other known material plate. The back plate 100 isconstructed such that it satisfies regulatory requirements. Further, theback plate 100 has no visible fasteners and is not visible when used.The vertical and horizontal edges 500 and 505 provide an alignmentmechanism for insuring that the back plate 100 is mounted correctly tothe vertical surface. The back plate 100 is optional. The electricvehicle charging station can be mounted with or without it.

One of the many advantages of the back plate is that the shape of theback plate 100 allows a bubble level to be used along the vertical andhorizontal edges when mounting the back plate 100, and thus the chargingstation enclosure mounted to the back plate will be level. The edgesallow the back plate 100 to be mounted true before mounting of thecharging station enclosure 10. Further, the squared size of the backplate 100 also reduces the size of the stock used to manufacture, andallow multiple back plates 100 from the same piece of smaller stock,keeping costs of materials down. Moreover, after the back plate 100 ismounted, a flange portion 16 of the charging station enclosure 10 may berested on the top curved edge 510 (FIGS. 11A and 11D) of the back plate100. The curved edge 510 (FIGS. 11A and 11D) allows the charging stationenclosure 10 to be turned or rotated to align the openings 55 a and 55 bwith fasteners 105 a and 105 b, respectively. The curved top edge of theback plate 100 generally restrains the up/down and left/right movementof the charger station housing 10, but allows it to rotate to line upthe screw holes in the housing with threads in the back plate 100, orwith threads in nuts restrained by the back plate 100. Thus, in someembodiments, the charging station enclosure can be seated and hung fromthe back plate while the installer does an installation.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, one advantage of storing the flexible,elongated power cable 20 over the top of the charging station enclosure10 is that the radius of curvature of the power cable 20 is better forcable health, as compared to a hook or other means. The round surface ofthe charging station enclosure 10 keeps the power cable 20 fromexperiencing greater pressure against the cable, and/or low radiusbending (especially localized sharp bending at corners, edges, or thelike) than might occur with a hook or a retention means with edges orsharp surfaces. Most of the time the power cable 20 will be storeddraped over the top of the charging station enclosure 10. The largerradius of curvature of the charging station enclosure 10 keeps the powercable 20 from over bending, and/or kinking to extend the life of thepower cable 20. In addition, due to the configuration, as the powercable 20 is pulled, it can easily roll off the top of the chargingstation enclosure 10 to dispense easily with little effort by the user.Also, the configuration allows the power cable 20 to be more easilyreturned over the charging station enclosure 10 when finished.

In some embodiments, the charging station enclosure 10 is constructed ofa plastic that may be rotomolded or a fiber reinforced plastic panel. Inother embodiments, the charging station enclosure 10 may be constructedmetal such as steel or aluminum. While the embodiments of this inventionillustrate an electric vehicle charging station, the structure of thecharging station enclosure 10 and the back plate 100 are adaptable toother applications and these other application are in keeping with theprinciples of this invention.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to the embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A charging station enclosure comprising a casingfor enclosing circuitry therein, the casing comprising a side wallsurrounding the circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the side wallcomprises a double wall with a space therebetween.
 2. The chargingstation enclosure of claim 1, wherein the casing further comprises wallsupports in the space between the double wall.
 3. The charging stationenclosure of claim 2, wherein the wall supports comprise drainagefeatures.
 4. The charging station enclosure of claim 3, wherein thecasing further comprises drainage openings.
 5. The charging stationenclosure of claim 3, wherein the drainage features comprise a drainageport.
 6. The charging station enclosure of claim 3, wherein theenclosure comprises a front plate fastened to the casing, and whereinthe drainage features comprise a space between the wall supports and thefront plate.
 7. The charging station enclosure of claim 6, wherein thecasing further comprises drainage openings.
 8. The charging stationenclosure of claim 7, wherein the drainage features comprise a drainageport.
 9. The charging station enclosure of claim 8, wherein an outerwall of the double wall comprises the drainage openings.
 10. Thecharging station enclosure of claim 2, wherein at least some of the wallsupports comprise fastener receivers.
 11. The charging station enclosureof claim 10, wherein the double wall comprises an inner wall and anouter wall, and wherein the enclosure comprises a front plate fastenedto the casing, and further comprises a gasket creating a seal betweenthe front plate and the inner wall.
 12. The charging station enclosureof claim 10, wherein M the wall supports with fastener receiverscomprise drainage ports.
 13. The charging station enclosure of claim 1,further comprising thermal insulation in the space between the doublewalls.
 14. A charging station enclosure comprising a casing forenclosing circuitry therein, the casing comprising: a) a side wallsurrounding the circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the side wallcomprises an inner wall and an adjacent outer wall; and b) a front platefastened to the casing.
 15. The charging station enclosure of claim 15,further comprises a gasket creating a seal between the front plate andthe inner wall.
 16. The charging station enclosure of claim 15, whereinthe front plate is fastened to the casing with a water tight sealbetween the front plate and the inner wall such that water penetratingpast an interface between the outer wall and the face plate is directedaway from passing beyond the inner wall.
 17. The charging stationenclosure of claim 16, further comprising at least one drainage openingso as to allow accumulated water between the inner wall and the outerwall to drain therefrom.
 18. The charging station enclosure of claim 17,wherein the casing further comprises wall supports in a space betweenthe inner wall and the outer wall, and wherein the wall supportscomprise drainage features.
 19. The charging station enclosure of claim15 further comprising fastener receivers located between the inner walland the outer wall.
 20. The charging station enclosure of claim 19,wherein the front plate is fastened to the casing via fasteners suchthat the fasteners are received by the fasteners receivers.
 21. Thecharging station enclosure of claim 15, further comprising thermalinsulation between the inner wall and the outer wall.
 22. A chargingstation enclosure comprising a casing for enclosing circuitry therein,the casing comprising: a) a side wall surrounding the circuitry; b) arear mounting surface; and c) a front facing user interface panel havingan angle with respect to the rear mounting surface so as to facilitateviewing by a user when viewing from a positioned adjacent to and abovethe charging station enclosure.
 23. The charging station enclosure ofclaim 22, wherein the front facing panel has an angle of approximatelyten degrees toward the rear mounting surface.
 24. The charging stationenclosure of claim 23, wherein the side wall comprises a generallytruncated conical configuration.
 25. The charging station enclosure ofclaim 22, wherein the side wall comprises a generally truncated conicalconfiguration.
 26. The charging station enclosure of claim 22 furthercomprising a connector receptacle for receiving and retaining an energytransfer connector.
 27. The charging station enclosure of claim 26,wherein the connector receptacle is recessed from the front facing userinterface panel.
 28. The charging station enclosure of claim 27 furthercomprising a plurality of stiffening plates extending from a rearsurface of the casing.
 29. A charging station enclosure comprising: a) asurrounding side wall; b) a front plate secured to the side wall; and c)a rear portion comprising: (1) an opening for receiving a electricutility wiring; and (2) a plurality of exclusion spacers positionedadjacent to the opening.
 30. The charging station enclosure of claim 29,wherein the plurality of exclusion spacers extend from the rear portioninto and interior of the enclosure.
 31. The charging station enclosureof claim 29 further comprising a power transfer cable opening in adownward facing portion of the side wall.
 32. The charging stationenclosure of claim 31 further comprising a connector receptacle recessedfrom the front plate for receiving and retaining an energy transferconnector of a power transfer cable.
 33. The charging station enclosureof claim 29 further comprising a plurality of stiffening platesextending from the rear portion.
 34. The charging station enclosure ofclaim 33, wherein the plurality of stiffening plates further extend froma bottom portion of the enclosure.